ORSON’S SHADOW

by Austin Pendleton
Production/Director: Brad Dalton
Set Designer: Dan Daly
Lighting Designer: Christopher Ostrom
Costume Designer: Carol Sherry
Sound Design: Grace Oberhofer

presented at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, Cape Cod, 2019

“As directed by the brilliant Brad Dalton, WHAT’s production of Orson’s Shadow (running in repertory with Rhinoceros), is rich in backstage goings-on: gossip, old feuds, new slights. What lifts it out of the pages of the tabloids is the clear vulnerability of each character, the desperation in both Welles and Olivier, the sadness behind each man’s striving for dominance in the creation of the play they both despise. Dalton could easily have gone for sleaze (the script clearly would have allowed it) but goes instead for something lighter: empathy, a wry understanding of his characters’ fears and motivations.” - Ptownie

“Brad Dalton does an outstanding job directing this high-powered ensemble. The play, which is well-researched and rich with expository detail, flows well in his sure hands, riding emotional highs and lows with ease. The drama is vivid and the laughs are resonant. Pendleton’s darkly humorous drama, which premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2000 and had a long run off-Broadway in 2005, feels more adult, more theatrically satisfying.“- Howard Karren, Provincetown Banner

“Brad Dalton’s direction helps the cast to transform into the legendary actors, masterfully balancing their vulnerabilities with their larger-than-life personalities. To say Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater’s “Orson’s Shadow” is well acted is an understatement. The show’s noteworthy actors have the monumental task of convincingly portraying some theatrical greats from the stage and silver screen, which they deftly achieve, creating an absolute tour de force.” - Ellen Petry Whalen, The Cape Cod Chronicle